Spout forming can opener



April 17, 1956 J. M. BARKER 2,741,836

SPOUT FORMING CAN OPENER Filed July 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N V EN TOR. L/4MES M 54/?x5e April 17, 1956 J. M. BARKER 2,741,836

SPOUT FORMING CAN OPENER Filed July 29, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IHlllil IN V EN TOR. 7 J4M5 M BAR/(L76 United States Patent 6 l SPOUT FORMING (JAN oPaNEn James M. Barker, Battle Creek, Mich, assignor to The Keyes-Davis Company, Battle Creek, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 29, 1955, Serial No. 525,173

9 Claims. c1. 3d--5.3)

This invention relates to a spout-forming can opener and more particularly to an improved piercing means for this type of can opener. This invention is an improvement in the can opening device shown in United States Patent No. 2,620,557.

It is desirable, when using a can opener of the type disclosed in the above mentioned patent, that the portion of the can lid which is being pierced should be raised relative to the rest of the can lid in the area opposite the spout that is formed by the can opening device. If a portion of the lid is not raised in this manner it is then likely to move downwardly, resulting in flow of liquid from within the can through the opening just made and onto the top or" the can. If the can top is dirty, the liquid thereon becomes contaminated and must be discarded. It has been found that when the edges of the piercing element of the can opening device of the type described in the above mentioned patent are shaped in a certain manner it is possible to attain the desired raising of the can lid in the proper zone during the opening of the can and to do so with a high degree of uniformity.

Further, a problem which has arisen in the use of the device constructed in accordance with the teaching of the above mentioned patent is that the movable handle is not secured against movement angularly with respect to the axis of the pivot shaft. it has been found that if the movable handle moves angularly with respect to the axis of the pivot shaft, it'will thereby improperly align the movable handle member with respect to the fixed handle and result in an unworkmanlike appearance and will be inconvenient in use.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a spout-forming, can opening device having an improved piercing member mounted thereon.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a piercing member which insures that a portion of the can lid opposite to the spout formed in the can wall will be raised each time the can opener is used.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved pivotal mounting for the movable handle member of the spout-forming can opener.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved mounting for the piercing member.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent after reading the accompanying specification and inspecting the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the improved spout-forming can opening device.

Figure 2 is a central sectional view through the spoutforming device after the piercing member has been forced into the can and before forming a spout therein.

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a modification of the structure of the piercing member.

Figure 5 is an enlarged View of the piercing member shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a side view of the improved can opening 2,741,836 Patented Apr. 17, 1956 and spout-forming device of the present invention in position ready for use.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of Figure 1 but omitting portions of the handle and not showing the handle in section view.

Figure 8 is a section taken on the line VIIIV1II 0 Figure 2.

General description In general, the V-shaped piercing member of memproved can opener disclosed herein is tapered on the edges of that surface of the piercing member which lies adjacent the side wall of the can when the can is being opened. This surface of the piercing member lies adjacent the handle of the can opener and is hereinafter referred to as the inside surface. The other, or outer, surface of the piercing member is provided with a raised central portion and is beveled at its edges to intersect the inside surface and form a pair of downwardly converging cutting edges. In addition, the lower end of the piercing member is smoothed ofi, or dubbed, on the outside surface thereof adjacent the piercing point. A piercing member having this configuration will operate in such a manner that a portion of the lid of the can adjacent the outside surface of the piercing member will be raised relative to the rest of the can lid. The movable handle member is held in position on its pivot shaft by being fastened, as by welding or staking, to a sleeve, said sleeve surrounding the shaft and acting as a spacer so that neither it nor the handle can move longitudinally of the axis of the pivot shaft.

Detailed description Now referring to the drawings in detail, the can opening device it is provided with a frame portion 11 which may be made by forging or stamping a single piece of sheet metal. The edges of the frame portion are turned down to form reinforcing flanges 32 to thereby provide a handle. The flanges are provided with depending extensions 23 and 24 adjacent the forward end of the handle which are adapted to contact the outside surface of the sidewall of the can 30 (Figure 2). pin 13 extends between the flanges 12 of the frame member 11 adjacent the forward end thereof. One end of the pin is provided with an enlarged head 14 engaging the outside surface of one flange 12 while the other end i5 of the pin is peened so that it engages the outside surface of the other of the flanges 12 to firmly hold the pin 13 in position between the flanges. The spacer, or mounting sleeve 16, is movably mounted on pin 13, each end thereof extending into close proximity to one of the flanges 12.

A handle 18 is secured to, and between the ends of, the sleeve 16 for pivotal movement about pin 13. The handle 13 is provided at its forward end with a head member 19 having a depending hook end 19a adapted to fit within the piercing member 25 so that the hook will follow the piercing member into the can during the piercing operation. The extremity of the hook end 19a is rounded both at its end and in cross-section for reasons appearing below.

A knob 20 is fastened on frame member 11 adjacent the forward end thereof by fastener 21.

The piercing member 25 is mounted in fixed position on the frame member 11 adjacent the forward end thereof. Each side of the piercing member has rearwardly extending ears of which one is shown at 35 in Figure 7. The cars are formed with a generally semi-circular recess 34 for fitting around the spacer sleeve 16. The rearwardmost portion 35 of each ear is enlarged to prevent accidental dislodgement of the piercing member 25 from its normal position on spacer sleeve 16. The piercing memberis'spaced fonvafdl-y of extensions 23 and 24 a position to pierce the can lid when the extensions 23 and 24 contact the outer surface-of the wall of the can (Fi ure '6). The piercing member is provided with a t'riangular-shaped raised central portion '26 whichis adapted to receive thehook end of the head member "19. A

' projeming portion 27 is formed near theapexof trianguto :60 degreesis generally satisfactory;

* T.he cross-sectional contour of the piercing member,

as best shown Figure 8, assumes a-somewhat gullwinged shape with the cutting edges beingplaced substantially forward of the inner surface of the piercing member,'and preferably forward of the greater part of the outer surface thereof. The cutting edges are substantially defined by the surface 31 on each side of said piercing member, which surface may be provided by any convenient process, forming, grinding or other. The gullwing formation noted results in the cutting edges pointing away from the edge of a can with which the opening device is being used so that said cutting edges cut into the inner-soft part of the-can cover rather than cutting toward the harder, folded back, edges of the rim of the can.

The cutting edge of the piercing member may be made by forming the surfaces 31 as convenient and then grinding off the surfaces 28 as shown in Figure 8.

The point of the piercing member is tapered or dubbed on the outer surface thereof as shown at 29, (Figure 5). The only tapering of the inner side of the point is that caused by the intersection of the surfaces 31 from each side 'of the piercing member.

In opening a can, the can opening device is placed over the top edge of the can 30 with extensions 23 and 24 adjacent or contacting the outer face of the can. By holding the device substantially horizontally and pushing'down on the knob 20, the piercing point of the piercing member 25 will pierce the can lid. Pressure is exerted on the knob until the upper edge of the can blocks further movement 'of the piercing member. shaped edge of member 19 is held within raised portion 26 during the lid piercing movement. After the pier'cing member has moved to its full extent the hook portion lieswithin the can as shown in Figure 2. V

During the movement of the piercing member through the can lid, the portion 33 of the can lid adjacent the outer surface of the piercing member will be raised upwardly relative to the rest of the can lid as shown in Figure 2. By piv'otally moving the movable handle member '18 toward the frame member. 11, the head member '19 will be caused to pivot about the pin 13 thereby causing the end 19a of the hook member to engage the side of the can and bend it outwardly't'o form a spout therein. The rounded shape of the end 19a minimizes the likelihood that the hook 19 will tear the metal of the can while forming the spout.

While the structure indicated in Figures '5 and 8 is a convenient way of providing the cutting edges indicated, it is entirely wtihin the scope of the invention to'omit the ground surface 28 so that the cutting edge is provided solely by the intersection of the surface 31 with the forward surface of the piercing "member, as shown in Figure 4. However, as a matter of manufacturing technique, it is normally desirable to form fl1e surface 31 l and grind the surface 28 but these procedures arematters of choice and form no essential part of the invention, Although particular, preferred embodiments of the The hook sufiicient distance for said piercing -member-to -be in a invention have been disclosed hereinabove for illustrative purposes, it will be understood that variations "or modifications thereof which-lie within the scope of said invention are fully contemplated herein unless specifically stated to the contrary in the appended claims.

I clahn:

1. A can opening and spout-forming device, comprising: a frame member which is in the form of a handle having a pair of spaced apart guide members projecting said frame member and guide means and a second outer.

sidewise from said handle and adapted to contact the outer side of a can to be opened; :a piercing member mounted relatively fixedly with respect to said' frame member and spaced forwardly of said guidemembers and located between said guide members, said piercing member being provided with an outwardly projecting central. portion and having a first inner surface adjacent face surface remote therefrom, a knife edge formed on the edges of said piercing member, a piercing point "formed on said piercing member, the region adjacent said point being tapered from said'outer surface, and'the sides of said piercing member adjacent said knife edgeextending sufiiciently forwardly of the generalline of said piercing member that said knife edges on either-side'thereof lie forwardly of 'at least portions of the outer surface of'said piercing member to form, in cooperation with the out-,

wardly projecting central portion of said piercing memher a substantially gull-winged contour; and hook means mounted on said frame member between'said guide members for use with same to form a spout in said can-between said guide members.

2. The device as in claim 1 wherein the cutting edge of the piercing member lies intermediate the inner and,

4. A device as in claiml wherein the tip of said hook member is rounded in both axial and radial planes to maximize its stretching effect on the portion of the can which is being formed into a spout and to minitriize its tendency to break said metal.

5. A can opening and spout-forming device, comprising: a frame member which is in the form of a handle having a pair of spaced apart guide members projecting sidewise from said handle and adapted to contact the outer f side face of a can to be opened;"a shaft mounted on and extending between said guide members; a second handle, pivotally mounted on said shaft between said guide mem-' bers and having spout forming means mounted thereon; a piercing member mounted relatively fixedly with respect to said frame member forwardly of said guide memhere, said piercing member having rearwardly extending earswhich are positioned'adjacent to said guide members and about said shaft, means to prevent-accidental dislodgem'ent of said cats from their position about said shaft.

6. A device'as in claim 5 including a sleeve rigid with said second handle and arranged around said shaft to prevent movement of said second handle both longitudinally on said shaft and angularly with'respect to the axis of said shaft. V r

7. A can opening and spout-forming device comprising: an elongated frame member having a pair of spaced, guide elements extending laterally in substantially the same direction from said member near the front end thereof; a shaft mounted on and between said elements; an arm pivotally mounted upon said shaft between said elements and having spout-forming means secured thereto; a piercing member secured to said frame member near said blade having a pair of cutting edges converging in said direction and spaced forwardly, substantially throughout their length, of a plane defined by the surface of said blade adjacent to said guide elements, said plane being substantially equidistant from said elements; and a forwardly projecting portion on said blade intermediate said edges and disposed laterally outwardly in said direction from said shaft.

8. The structure of claim 7 wherein said piercing member has a pair of integral ears disposed adjacent to said guide elements, respectively, and wedged between said shaft and said frame member.

9. A can opening and spout-forming device, comprising: an elongated frame member having a pair of spaced guide members projecting laterally therefrom; a shaft mounted on and extending between said guide members; a handle pivotally mounted on said shaft between said guide members and having spout-forming means secured thereto; a piercing member mounted relatively fixedly with respect to said frame member forwardly of said guide members, said piercing member having rearwardly extending ears which are positioned adjacent to said guide members and engage said shaft; and means to prevent accidental dislodgement of said ears from their position with respect to said shaft.

No references cited. 

